The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1887-11-17

'Ob, Miss Elliott How can you
say such cruel tbipgs? pleaded poor
Eva, coloring painfully.
'Tisn't cruel, it's true y insisted
Laura. j dare say he'll tell you go
some time, asd il he does, l yield
my claiui 1 don't want him IL he
likes you better.
Aud Miss Laura houuced ont OF
the room, leaving poor, frightened
Eva to cry aud think, and to wish
oh, 80 much ! that it were not wrong
to think OF Norton aud to hope that
some day some one like him might
love her q little
An evening or two later Laura
revealed her plan to Norton, and
besought his aid TO carry out her
good joke on Eva. Norton looked
at her aghast. He could not believe
one woman could be willing so to
outrage another.
Laura, are you in earnest : Do
you sctually wish me to lend myself
to your scheme p he ssked.
Certainly l do. 1t will be the
best joke in the world = cried Laura.
She will think il is all in earnest,
and won't she be sold, when she finds
it is only ioker ? Aud Laura
laughed heartily in anticipation Of
the fun.
Norton looked steadily at her, and
kept down a feeling which wanted tc
show itself in bis face.
Il think she will, indie ID 7 he said,
grimly. We'll. Laura, l consent
Only you must break tho ice for me.
Since you began it you must carry il,
a little further. / don't know just
how to begin such au affair. You
say the first words, and I'll follow.
otherwise, I'll not have anything to
do with your Joke
All right, III do that much said
Laura, gayly But you know you
must seem very much in earnest,
Norton, or sho will not believe you.
Il promise to seem so much in
earnest as to astonish even you, an
swered Norton. And had Laura
seen the expression Of his face just
then she might have besitAtsd to 60
90 with her plan.
The next day, when Eva came into
the room where che usually worked,
she found Miss Laura aud Davis
both there.
Turning, with q blush, she was
about 20 retire instantly from the
room, when Miss Laura called out
Come in, Miss DarLall. We were
waiting Tor you
For me p repeated Eva, pausiDg
confnsedly'
'You come here and shut The
door. Mr.. Davis has something &c
say to you, and he is afraid you will
be angry, so have agreed to helI
him. Miss Darnall, Mr.. Davis aud
mutually agreed that We are tired o.
zach other, and have broken our en-
gagemept. He wishes to marry you
and he is afraid to ask you. There,
now, I've told il; settle it between
= you.
Aud Laura vanished from the
room, leaving Norton and Eva to-
gether.
Eva, too, tried TO run away.
oh, let me 60 = this is too cruel O
joke =
But Norton caught her and held
ber fast, as he said, With o singular-
Ily earnest air for man who was
playing a joke:
! mo. by Heaven, Eva, It is not a
Joke ! IL 10 as true as truth can bs
| | have broken with Laura, aud |
have seen how good and true and
gentle you are, aud | love you, and:I
want you for my own little wife |!
Ilfyou will have me, 1 will try all
my life to make you happy, my own
sweet. sweet Eva Will you dar-
ling Gould you learn to love met
lie drew Ter head to his shoulder,
and Eva, bewidered, frightened but
oh SO happy. let it lie there. as she
con nfessed that she had learned al
ready, and promised what he asked
i Laura excused Eva from working
any more, aud Norton took her
home, where be asked, and gained
her mothers consent to their mar
riage.
He urged it at once, saying there
was no need Of waiting. He was en-
tirely free. Laura herself had set
him free, and be would like to make